Accidental Homecoming Read online

  Lizzie frowned at Luke. His grin widened. “Oh, Emma Jean. I think there were bunnies nearby. They made a lot of noise.”

  Emma gasped. “You think there were bunnies?”

  “Yes,” Luke said with a knowing glance at his brother. “I do.”

  “Hey,” Lizzie said on a gust of breath. “Who wants pancakes?” And, thank heaven, that was the end of that conversation.

  * * *

  They’d barely finished breakfast when Dr. Blake called to share that Luke’s final tests were all good and he’d been cleared for the procedure. Because the doctors wanted to move forward as quickly as possible, they asked that Emma come to the hospital to begin the challenging preparation for the transplant right away.

  This was great news, but it was still difficult for Danny, watching his daughter pack her little suitcase with books and videos. And her favorite tiara, even though it had to be sanitized.

  It was even more difficult leaving her at the hospital. Especially when she clung to his neck and smooched his cheek and said, “I love you, Daddy.”

  Something caught in his throat, swelled in his chest as he heard those beautiful words. The most beautiful words in the world.

  “I love you, too, honey. I love you so much.”

  He held her then, until the nurse came in and gently reminded him of the visitation rules on the floor. Lizzie got to stay, because she was taking the first night with Emma. He hugged her, too, before he left the room. “You going to be okay?” he asked in an undertone.

  She smiled. “I’ll be fine. I’ve done this before. Don’t worry.”

  “See you tomorrow?”

  “Of course.” And then, to his delight, she kissed him. It wasn’t a long, lingering thing, but it was enough to let him know that she wouldn’t object to such displays of affection in front of others, which was a damn good sign.

  When Emma went into the hospital, they all took turns staying the night with her—Danny, Lizzie, Nan and Luke—who planned to stay with them until Emma’s procedure.

  Danny quickly learned not to expect any sleep on his nights because Emma’s room was like Grand Central Station. Nurses and doctors came in and out all night, taking her temperature or adjusting an IV, and the machines beeped constantly.

  But, he reminded himself, he was here for her. To make sure she felt safe. And he prayed that in those times when she woke up and saw him there, not sleeping in the uncomfortable chair-bed by the window, she knew he was there to protect her.

  There were good times and bad as Emma went through the preparation, and as difficult as it was for Danny to help his child through bouts of nausea, to coax her to eat when she lost her appetite or hold her when she cried, he was, at least, happy to have the chance do it. For Emma, and to spare Lizzie, as well. And humbled to have this chance to be with his child. He vowed he’d do everything he could to make sure she got through this. Knowing as he did that there was only so much he could do.

  Luke’s aspiration—as the doctors called it—was on a Thursday. Since Lizzie had stayed the night before with Emma, Nan drove them to the hospital. Danny could tell that Luke was a little nervous, but when he brought it up, his brother snorted, “Bah. This is nothing.” He glanced at Danny and added, “Sometime, when we’ve had a couple belts, ask me about my adventures at Walter Reed.” Danny knew Luke had been severely wounded in battle and spent months in the military hospital, but he didn’t know the details. This, however, felt like an invitation to a conversation, which was all to the good.

  “I’ll do that,” he said.

  Luke nodded. “Just make sure there’s alcohol.”

  Once they arrived at the hospital, and got sanitized and masked, gloved and gowned, they headed for Emma’s room in the isolation unit. Lizzie stood and set aside the magazine she was reading when she saw him. It took two steps for her to come into his arms, but she did. “You okay?” he whispered into her hair.

  “Yeah. It’s just...”

  “I know.” He pulled back and smiled into her eyes. “She’ll be fine. It’ll be okay soon.”

  “Notice he doesn’t say I’ll be fine,” Luke muttered, pointing a thumb at them.

  Emma laughed. Then she sobered and stared at Luke with wide eyes. “You will be fine,” she said in the manner of Obi-Wan Kenobi persuading an Imperial stormtrooper.

  “Thanks, little one,” he said, patting her through the plastic. Clearly, he didn’t expect her to take his hand, but he allowed it. Danny even thought he saw a return squeeze.

  When the nurse came to collect Luke to prepare for his procedure, Emma clung to his hand.

  “Hey, hey, little one. Don’t be scared,” he said.

  “I’m not scared.” She shook her hair and her thinning curls bounced. “I just don’t want you to be scared.”

  His eyes widened. “Should I be scared?” he asked, not so jokingly.

  “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ve done this before.”

  Luke blinked. “Have you? Did it hurt?”

  She shot him a brilliant grin. “Not while you’re sleeping.”

  Danny went with Luke to be there for him during his procedure, while Lizzie stayed with Emma. It was the least he could do, he figured.

  He was past feeling hurt over not being able to be the one to donate to his own daughter. Now that he knew his brother a little better, he’d come to understand that Luke’s crusty outer shell was just his armor. Underneath was a flesh-and-blood man, wounded and wanting connection, just like anyone else. In fact, under that crusty outer shell was a damned fine man.

  Funny how Emma had seen that from the start. It was an incredibly insightful observation for a child. Or maybe kids just saw things more clearly than world-weary adults.

  Regardless, she certainly did have a special place in her heart for Luke. But then, so did Danny nowadays.

  Not that Luke needed to know that.

  At least, not yet.

  * * *

  Luke came through with flying colors, just as Emma predicted. Not only was he fine, but he also even insisted on visiting Emma before they left that evening so she could see for herself. Everyone, however, noticed his disgruntlement when the hospital was adamant that he be ferried to the hospital door in a wheelchair. His accentuated limp, however, he utterly ignored. “It’s nothing,” he said when anyone brought it up. “Nothing.”

  Even though it was nothing, the doctors said he shouldn’t do strenuous labor—like lifting bales of hay and wrassling two-thousand-pound steers—so there was no need for him to return to the ranch. Besides, he wanted to stay for the transplant.

  Lizzie was happy to have him. In fact, it was a luxury to have Danny and Luke with her. They were a great distraction from her worries. Just watching the two of them awkwardly bond was worth the price of admission. It warmed her heart, sure, but it also made her laugh. The two of them were so alike, even if they couldn’t see it.

  * * *

  The night before Emma’s procedure was rough. The nurses recommended she get a good night’s sleep, because the next few days could be challenging, but Emma was too apprehensive to settle. Funny little thing. She’d been stalwart all along, even when her hair started falling out in clumps—as long as she could still wear a tiara, she’d said, she’d be fine. But now that the day of reckoning had arrived, she was worried. And today’s infusion wouldn’t even hurt.

  Lizzie couldn’t blame her. She was worried about what would happen next, too. Thankfully, Danny insisted on staying that night, even though the only place for him to sleep was the mat on the window seat—but he didn’t sleep much, either. Every time Lizzie awoke, it was to find him gazing at Emma, or pacing the floor. She knew he was fretting, as well.

  The procedure was an infusion of Luke’s bone marrow into her bloodstream via the central line they’d put in for this purpose, but that was the easy part. Emma could have a nega
tive reaction to the infusion, or even reject the transplant itself. Either could be fatal. They all knew Emma wouldn’t be out of the woods until they knew the transplant had grafted and she was making her own, healthy marrow.

  Too soon that morning, the nurses came to prep Emma for her infusion. Her parents weren’t allow to hug her, so they had to be satisfied with air-fives, as Emma called them. They threw kisses and told her how much they loved her. And then they sat next to her bed as she was lightly sedated and the infusion began. And they waited. This was the hardest part. It always was, the waiting.

  Emma’s nurse kept checking on her infusion and Dr. Blake came in several times, reassuring them that everything was going smoothly. But this time, things were decidedly different for Lizzie. This time she wasn’t alone as she waited. She had Danny beside her, holding her hand, and Nan and Luke had come for moral support, though they waited in the family room and texted periodically to send notes and jokes, to help keep their spirits up. The company didn’t miraculously banish her anxiety, but having them there helped tremendously.

  It seemed as though hours had gone by when Danny’s fingers tightened slightly around hers. Lizzie’s eyes flew open. They stood as Dr. Blake came into the room to check on Emma’s progress.

  “Well?” Danny said, his voice a warble.

  Dr. Blake set his hand on Danny’s shoulder. “I spoke to Rachel. She said everything went well. Now we watch her carefully, just as we talked about. She should be awake soon, and I’m sure she’ll be happy to see her mom and dad here.”

  After Dr. Blake left, promising to check back in a few hours, they gave Luke the okay to call the family and give them an update. All of the Stirlings had been pretty adamant about being kept in the loop.

  Lizzie’s heart caught as she looked at her little girl. She seemed so small on the bed. There were smudges under her eyes. Her lashes made dark arcs on her cheeks.

  “Baby.” Lizzie stroked the damp tufts of hair off her forehead. Emma’s eyes fluttered open. “How you feeling?”

  Her smile was wobbly. “Where’s Uncle Luke?”

  Behind Lizzie, Danny smiled. “He’s on the phone, telling everyone how great you did.”

  “I did great?”

  Danny stepped closer. “Of course you did. We’re all so proud of you.”

  That was about all they had time to say, because Emma was clearly tired, and began to doze. Far too soon.

  The nurse urged them to get something to eat so that they could be back when Emma awoke and she promised to text them if there were any changes. They headed to the hospital cafeteria for a late lunch with Luke and Nan. Lizzie was glad for the company. She was staying with Emma tonight, and wasn’t ready to be alone with her thoughts. Not just yet. Danny had wanted to stay, too, but the doctors insisted on one parent only from now on, to decrease the chance of an infection and even then, Emma would be in isolation for at least two weeks and under close supervision for the next thirty days.

  When the others left that night, Lizzie walked them to the front door of the hospital. Danny dropped his arm around her shoulder. He kissed her. Gently. Sweetly.

  “It’s over,” he said on a sigh.

  And she smiled.

  Because the fun had just begun, and he didn’t even know it yet.

  * * *

  Luke was reluctant to leave when the time came, but he was needed at the ranch. Especially with Danny staying to help out during Emma’s recuperation. He seemed as broken up about leaving as Lizzie was watching him go—even Danny got a little emotional, though he hid it well. Luke promised to come back soon for a visit.

  There were a few scary days after the transplant when it looked like the procedure didn’t take. Everything from temperature spikes and blood tests showed Emma was slow to respond. She had difficulty keeping food and water down, which required multiple IVs and the occasional feeding tube. She slept nearly all the time.

  Lizzie didn’t sleep much at all. It wasn’t just the worrying. Every parent of a hospitalized child knew the drill. Even though Emma was in a sterile room, there were doctors and nurses, mostly nurses, in and out of the room all night. And if Emma’s oxygen levels dropped below ninety, an alarm would sound. And when her saline drip needed changing, an alarm would sound. And, for a million other reasons, an alarm would sound. By the end of the first week, she was dizzy with fatigue.

  Danny and Lizzie had an argument over stale doughnuts and coffee in the cafeteria when she refused to let him take over. He was worried about her health, too, he insisted. It wasn’t until she caught her own reflection in the mirror—and it was spooky—that she relented and let him stay with Emma every other night.

  And, of course, she was glad she had. Not just because she had a chance to catch up on her sleep, but because Danny wanted, and needed, to be a part of this. Other than Nan, Lizzie hadn’t had anyone else to rely on. She’d gotten used to that so naturally it was hard to make this adjustment. But it was important for her to allow him in. Emma needed her dad, too.

  Wasn’t that partly what she’d hoped for when she’d sought him out?

  Lizzie’s stress began to wash away when Emma turned a corner. Both her red and white blood-cell counts started to rise. She was finally able to keep down solid food. She began to show an interest in cartoons.

  In fact, after they’d passed that sketchy period, the doctors seemed very pleased with Emma’s response to Luke’s bone marrow. Though they were being conservative with their prognosis, they said, they felt confident moving Emma out of isolation. There was even talk that she might be home in time for Christmas.

  As her blood counts continued to rise, her energy increased, too, and soon, she refused to be confined to the bed, as the doctors had ordered. More than once, Lizzie came into her room to see her perched on the wide windowsill watching cars zoom by on the road below, or she’d had to search the ward to find her daughter. She was usually found cajoling the nurses for ice cream.

  Fortunately, she had Danny to help her look when she needed him. She had Danny to help her with everything. On the occasional night when Nan stayed with Emma, they held each other close all night long.

  As difficult a time as it was, she was utterly grateful to have him by her side.

  Although she couldn’t help wondering...what would happen when Emma was all better? What would he expect or need or want from her then? Would he still be by her side?

  Chapter Nine

  Luke flew over to visit a lot during the month Emma was in hospital, once a week, at least. Sometimes Mark, DJ or Sam would come with him. A couple of times, they all flew out together.

  Once, because she’d heard Emma’s hair was falling out, Sam brought a bunny hat she’d hand-knitted. It had two fluffy ears and a black nose in the front. Emma loved it. It wasn’t long before she refused to walk—only hopped—when she wore it.

  It was a tremendous boon to Lizzie to have this extra moral support. But there was more to it than that. She’d figured out long ago that hospital life could often become tedious—eating in the cafeteria for days on end, washing your hair in the sink, sleeping on the chairs that promised to convert into comfy beds...and lied. Having visitors helped Lizzie keep her sanity.

  And then, of course, there were the times when all the Stirlings were over—and nothing was sane. On those nights, Danny, Luke, Sam—and whoever else had come—would pile in her car after visiting Emma and head back to the condo to hang out for hours. How had she not known family get-togethers were such fun?

  Growing up, it had just been Nan and Lizzie. Their parents had been college professors. A wild night for them had been maybe a glass of wine. Was it any surprise their daughters turned out the same?

  Well, when the Stirlings stayed over, nothing was tame. Meals were boisterous, and conversation and laughter flowed well into the night. Sometimes it was about Emma—and here was a group of people who were avidly
interested in her baby pictures—but sometimes it was about the ranch, or the town of Butterscotch Ridge.

  They never seemed to run out of things to say to each other. Even Danny was slowly getting drawn into their circle.

  Lizzie even found herself slowly bonding with Danny’s forthright sister, Samantha, who proved to be both kind and funny underneath her sharp-edged snark.

  “Do you guys do game night every evening?” Lizzie asked one night after a particularly cross-eyed game of charades. Because everyone was over, Nan had insisted Lizzie and Danny both have the night off and she’d taken a shift.

  Sam chuckled. “We’re usually too pooped most nights. But we can do game nights when you come to the ranch if you want.” The comment was a casual one, but it made Lizzie’s throat close. She hadn’t been invited to come to the ranch. Not precisely. Naturally, she glanced at Danny. She couldn’t help it.

  Silence simmered.

  Mark looked at Danny, then at her, and asked, “You are coming to the ranch. Aren’t you?”

  DJ nodded. “We assumed you were coming. Once Emma’s better.”

  They all stared at her with that distinct Stirling look. Like birds of prey waiting for the twitch of a titmouse.

  “Oh. Yes.” Lizzie swallowed the lump in her throat. “I assumed we would visit...”

  “Visit?” Sam’s jaw dropped. “What? I thought you and Emma were moving to BR.” For some reason, she glared at Danny.

  “He hasn’t asked her,” Luke snorted.

  Danny winced. “I haven’t brought it up yet. We’ve been busy. Have you noticed?”

  Her heart thudded. Her mouth went dry. “Ask me what?”

  Something hummed between them, some energy, some snapping tension. After a moment, he tipped his head sideways and gave her a hesitant smile, one that made her chest warm. “Would you...and Emma like to come and live on the ranch?” She stared at him until he gulped at her lack of response. He gestured to his siblings. “With us?” he added in a squeak.